


Like Rapunzel and Eugene

by honestmischief



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, Anxiety, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Disney References, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Insecurity, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), almost panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestmischief/pseuds/honestmischief
Summary: Tony was very surprised to see Bucky Barnes for the first time since Siberia at a coffee shop. He was even more surprised to find out that the former Winter Soldier owned the shop.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 15
Kudos: 264





	Like Rapunzel and Eugene

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the idea for this fic for months and I'm so glad I finally wrote it!
> 
> Thank you Penndragon27, nashapixie, and Aoifelaufeyson for betaing and reading this over! And thank you Wiggle for coming up with the name of the coffee shop! You guys are the best!

Tony was walking near Central Park because Rhodey told him that he  _ had  _ to go outside. He didn’t have a destination in mind as he walked around the park. He figured he would walk for a while and then go back to the tower once he had been out long enough. If he went back too soon, Rhodey would probably just force him to leave again after lecturing him about the importance of fresh air. Tony was just fine inside. He was content working on new leg braces for his best friend. He even worked on some upgrades for DUM-E to finally get rid of that squeaking sound every time he used his claw. But Tony followed Rhodey’s wishes because he wanted to make his friend happy. 

It was the end of January and fucking cold out, so Tony wasn’t happy. He decided to get a cup of coffee just to warm up his hands. He knew that if Rhodey was with him, he would have reminded him to bring gloves. Tony wasn’t very good at taking care of himself, or taking care of anything, if he was being honest. It wasn’t hard to find a coffee shop near him and as he walked inside, he was thankful to feel some warmth. 

The relief that Tony felt was short-lived. It took him a few seconds to actually process who was standing behind the counter because he thought his eyes were deceiving him. 

It was the Winter Soldier. 

Tony wondered if it was actually the Winter Soldier or if it was Bucky Barnes. Or maybe it was neither of them. He couldn’t imagine that Bucky could ever be the same person as he was before HYDRA. Seeing the man for the first time since Siberia made Tony’s stomach churn. It brought back too many memories that Tony was desperately trying to forget. He was reminded of his parents, who he wouldn’t admit that he missed. He was hit with memories of his friend slamming his shield into his chest. Tony felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs, just like that day. 

The man behind the counter’s facial expression was full of recognition and something else that Tony couldn’t quite place. Was it guilt?

There was no way that Tony could deal with this, so he turned around, left the shop and went straight back to his tower. Tony completely ignored Rhodey’s wishes for him to breathe in some fresh air, even though he needed to focus on breathing to prevent a panic attack. He could feel his heart racing in his chest during his entire walk home. 

When Tony got back to his penthouse, Rhodey was seated on the couch watching something on the TV that Tony didn’t recognize. His best friend immediately looked at Tony with a look of concern. 

“Shit, Tony. What happened?” Rhodey asked. 

There was no point in trying to hide it from Rhodey. They had been friends since Tony was 14 years old, the man could read him like a book. 

“Bucky Barnes is here,” Tony told him as he took a seat next to him on the couch. His breathing was becoming more steady. 

“I thought he was in Wakanda,” Rhodey said.

“He was working at a coffee shop near Central Park,” Tony clarified. 

“That’s odd,” Rhodey muttered. 

It was odd. Why would he do that? Why would a former assassin decide to become a barista? Tony assumed that the scientists in Wakanda were able to erase the HYDRA programming in Bucky’s mind or else he wouldn’t have been allowed to leave. But that still didn’t explain why Bucky was working at a café. 

The thought of running into him again made Tony want to flee the city. He wasn’t ready to confront all of the emotions that he felt about him. 

“Are you okay?” Rhodey asked, probably reading his mind. He was great like that. 

“Not really,” Tony replied honestly. 

“Manhattan is big. You won’t have to see him again,” Rhodey said. 

Tony really hoped that he was right. 

Rhodey wasn’t right. 

It was Tony’s fault. He was walking by Central Park again and wanted coffee. He completely forgot which coffee shop Bucky worked at because he didn’t even think to read the name of it. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon and the shop was empty. Tony was about to walk out when he heard Bucky shout at him to wait. Tony sighed and walked to the counter, knowing that he couldn’t get out of this.

“Just hear me out for a few minutes and then you can leave and never see me again, alright?” Bucky said from behind the counter. 

“Why should I?” Tony asked. 

Bucky hesitated, probably knowing that Tony had no obligation to stay. “I owe you an apology.” 

That was an understatement. 

“You have five minutes,” Tony told him. He thought that it was generous; he should have given him less. 

Bucky walked to the door of the shop, locked it, and flipped the sign so it said it was closed. Tony was somewhat surprised; he didn’t expect him to care enough to close the shop and put all of his attention on him. Bucky then took a seat at one of the tables and Tony sat down across from him. 

Bucky took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I wanted to apologize for any pain that I’ve caused you. I’m sorry for killing your parents, they didn’t deserve it and you didn’t deserve to lose them.”

Tony only stared back at him as he spoke. It was hard for Tony to listen with the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. 

“And I’m also sorry for what happened a few months ago. I shouldn’t have fought back. You were upset and had the right to be.”

That was… unexpected. Tony had struck first and Bucky defended himself. And then Steve joined in, leading to the fight being as terrible as it was. Tony didn’t even consider Bucky not fighting back. He also noticed that Bucky didn’t even mention HYDRA, which was odd. The Sergeant didn’t try to explain his actions, he only apologized for them. He failed to say that the brainwashing made him kill Tony’s parents. Even Tony was aware of that; he knew that Bucky wouldn’t have killed them on his own. 

“Oh,” Tony said, completely stunned. 

“You don’t have to accept my apology, but I’ve been hoping to get the opportunity to say that to you for a while now,” Bucky told him. 

His expression was genuine. Blue eyes were focused on Tony with tears subtly forming in them. Tony wasn’t sure if Bucky was aware that he noticed. 

“Thank you,” Tony finally said. “That was nice of you to say.”

Bucky’s eyes widened. “You’re calmer than I expected you to be.

“You apologized.” Tony shrugged. There were a lot worse things that Bucky could have done. 

“Oh,” Bucky muttered. It was his turn to be at a loss for words. 

“I don’t think I can forgive you yet, but I know that it was HYDRA that killed my parents, not you. You know that too, right?” Tony asked. He had a feeling that he didn’t. 

“I did it. You saw the video.” 

Tony flinched from the memory. “It wasn’t  _ you _ , though.” 

With each minute, Tony was getting more overwhelmed. He knew that it wasn’t Bucky’s fault that HYDRA used him as an assassin, but it would take some time for him to fully distinguish that in his mind. The feelings that this conversation brought weren’t ones that he was necessarily ready to confront. 

“I can’t talk about this anymore. Just know that it was HYDRA that killed them, not you,” Tony told him. 

“Do you want coffee? I feel bad for upsetting you, maybe it can help,” Bucky offered. 

Tony desperately wanted to leave, but he also couldn’t get himself to. His legs felt numb, like he couldn’t move if he tried. He would need to ground himself before getting up, unfortunately. 

“Sure.” 

Bucky escaped to the kitchen and Tony was left alone for a few minutes. Tony was proud of himself for keeping a calm enough mind to distinguish Bucky from HYDRA. He had trouble with that back in Siberia. Since then, Tony has had a lot of time to think, with there being a lot less people living in the tower. It was obvious that HYDRA molded Bucky into who they wanted him to be and made him do things that he didn’t want to do. 

“Here you go,” Bucky said before placing a mug on the table. 

Tony wasn’t sure what was more interesting: the fact that he put the mug on the table instead of trying to hand it to him or that there was a mountain of whipped cream on top of the coffee. Bucky most likely didn’t know that Tony didn’t like to be handed things, but Tony was thankful that he just placed it on the table. 

“What is this?” Tony asked, not able to take his eyes off of the monstrosity. 

“Coffee,” Bucky replied simply with a slight quirk of his lips. 

“This is not coffee. It looks like an ice cream sundae.”

After further inspection, Tony noticed that there was a chocolate and caramel drizzle on top of the whipped cream. He lowered his head to smell the coffee and it smelled disgustingly sweet. He was sure this was something that Peter would order at Starbucks. Tony had never had anything other than black coffee because he was often too lazy to add anything else to it. Or too lazy to even own any other ingredients. 

“Just try it, you’ll like it,” Bucky said with too much confidence. 

Tony rolled his eyes before taking a sip of the coffee. His eyes widened in shock. It was  _ delicious _ . The coffee, chocolate, and caramel flavors mixed perfectly together and Tony found himself taking a larger sip right away. He honestly hated himself for liking it so much. He constantly taunted people who ordered drinks like these, but he couldn’t get enough of this one. 

“You like it,” Bucky smirked. 

“You got me,” Tony said. 

“I knew that I would.” Bucky looked content, like he just achieved a goal. 

Tony finished his coffee silently as Bucky re-opened the shop. He was grateful that Bucky left him alone. Even though Tony wasn’t angry with him, his presence was still overwhelming. Tony needed to calm down alone before he would be able to leave and Bucky seemed to have sensed that. It was strange having someone understand him. It was rare for anyone to have any idea what was going on in Tony’s mind. 

When Tony finished his coffee, he wished that he had more. He couldn’t believe he liked a drink that sweet. Feeling refreshed, Tony made his way to the door and waved to Bucky on his way out. Bucky smiled back at him as he was talking to a customer. 

Tony walked back to the tower feeling content. It was definitely not how he expected to feel after having a conversation with Bucky Barnes, but he was happy that it went well. He really needed something in his life to go well. 

Days went by and Tony spent most of his time in his workshop. He was really desperate to make Rhodey’s exoskeleton as efficient as possible. Every time he thought about what happened to his best friend, he felt like shit. If he could do anything to make Rhodey’s life easier, he would. He had to learn a lot about kinesiology and anatomy, but he was making great progress. Rhodey would hopefully be able to walk with the braces as his only assistive device sometime soon. 

Even Tony sometimes needed a break. He was a genius, but his brain could only work so hard. He usually made coffee to get through work binges, but it seemed like it wasn’t helping as much as it used to. There was a different kind of coffee that Tony was craving and he would have to go to a certain shop near Central Park to get it. 

Tony wasn’t sure why he decided that it was a good idea to see Bucky Barnes again. It was probably a bad decision. It was either lack of sleep, pure stupidity, or a mixture of both. Bucky apologized and Tony told him that he didn’t blame him. It was time for both of them to move on. But Tony was desperate for coffee; he was so close to finishing his project and he needed an extra push. Besides, Rhodey always said that fresh air was good for him. Walking to and from the shop should help. 

When Tony entered the shop, it was empty besides Bucky, who was stacking chairs on top of tables. With a lifestyle like his, Tony never had any idea of what time it was. His workshop didn’t have windows and he didn’t keep track. He could have asked FRIDAY, but he didn’t think of it. 

“I can come back tomorrow,” Tony said. 

“No, it’s okay!” Bucky exclaimed. His cheeks were pink, most likely caught off guard by Tony’s arrival. 

“I had to try that coffee again. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” 

A smile appeared on Bucky’s face. It was a genuine smile, one that Tony never expected to see on him based off most of their prior meetings. If the real Bucky Barnes was someone who smiled like  _ that  _ because of something Tony said, Tony could get on board with that. 

Tony anxiously waited as Bucky made his drink, slightly regretting leaving his tower. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable around Bucky — it was actually the opposite — but he felt bad for taking his time when the shop was clearly closed. In order to stop tapping his foot, Tony took a chair off the table and sat down. It didn’t really work, he still tapped it as he sat. It was worth a try. 

Once again, Bucky placed the drink on the table instead of attempting to hand it to him. Bucky then took a few steps back, distancing himself from Tony with a nervous expression. 

“You can sit if you want,” Tony said to him. He didn’t know why he wanted him to, but seeing Bucky flustered made him sad. 

After Bucky sat down, Tony took his first sip of the coffee. The familiar sweetness was welcomed. 

“I hope it’s as good as you remember it,” Bucky said.

“Definitely,” Tony told him. “What made you decide to work at a coffee shop?” 

Bucky let out a soft chuckle before replying, “It’s actually my shop, I opened it two months ago. It’s kind of a stupid story.” 

Tony didn’t realize that Bucky owned the shop. He just thought that he worked there. 

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t most stories?”

“I suppose,” Bucky concurred. “Coffee was a staple in my life before well, you know.” 

Tony nodded, encouraging him to continue. 

“When I first moved here, I went to a shop and was offered an iced coffee and was appalled. That just wasn’t a thing in the 1940’s,” Bucky began to explain. 

“Right,” Tony agreed. He wasn’t a fan of iced coffee. He loved the feeling of coffee almost burning the inside of his mouth. It helped wake him up. 

“Well, I tried it and it was amazing,” Bucky continued with a wide grin. “So then I wondered, what else about coffee has changed? I ended up trying everything and I was fascinated.” 

It made sense. Tony was sure specialty drinks like frappuccinos and others didn’t exist before Bucky left for the war. It must have been a shock to see how many more options there were. Honestly, everything was probably shocking for Bucky. He probably felt like he woke up in a new world once he wasn’t under HYDRA’s control anymore. Tony couldn’t even imagine what that felt like. 

“And then I figured, if coffee has changed this much, maybe I can try making my own things too. I’ve been having a lot of fun with it,” Bucky said with a smile. It was the same smile that he wore when Tony said he wanted to try the coffee again. 

“I can’t say that I expected this, but it makes sense,” Tony said. 

It was obvious that Bucky was really passionate about his shop and making new types of coffee. Tony could relate to that desire to create, even though they had different interests. They both had an innate ability to invent and Tony was glad that Bucky was able to get the opportunity to put his skills towards something that he liked doing. What Bucky did to his parents still hurt, but Tony was getting better at separating the Bucky of the present from the Winter Soldier. 

“Coming up with a name for the shop was hard. I went with ‘Has Bean.’ It’s a lame way of saying that everything I went through is in the past,” Bucky said. Tony noticed how much more talkative Bucky was. He suspected that he was lonely. 

“I like it,” Tony told him. He figured that it was symbolic for him as well. He wanted to leave his and Bucky’s history in the past. 

Tony took another sip of his coffee. He was over halfway finished and already sad. It really was the best coffee that he had in a long time and he was afraid that black coffee would never be as good as it used to be. Bucky really had his flavors figured out and Tony was curious about what other drinks he created. 

“Why did you come back?” Bucky questioned with a nervous tone, like he didn’t want to ask but was also too curious not to. 

Tony hesitated for a moment. He didn’t think much about it when he decided to come. 

“I’ve been working all day and needed coffee for some motivation. Getting some fresh air to walk here didn’t seem like a bad idea,” Tony explained. 

“But you wanted to see  _ me  _ again?” Bucky asked with disbelief written all over his face. 

“The Winter Soldier is a has been, right?” 

Bucky looked stunned when he heard Tony’s response. Tony was also surprised by what he said. He didn’t think he would have felt comfortable around Bucky so quickly, but he was really easy to talk to and his presence was comforting in a way. 

“Yeah, he is,” Bucky replied. 

Bucky smiled again and Tony decided that he wanted to make sure that it happened more often. He had a feeling that it didn’t happen often enough. 

It became a routine, Tony would spend the day working in his workshop and then he would go to Has Bean and have a coffee with Bucky as the shop closed. Tony thought that it was a good system for both of them. Bucky was able to get the social interaction that he had been needing and Tony was able to make sure he set aside time to get fresh air and take a break from working. Without his daily trips to the café, he would probably never stop working until either Rhodey or FRIDAY begged him to stop.

One evening a couple of weeks after Tony started visiting regularly, he was particularly tired. He figured he just needed another coffee, but Bucky looked concerned. It wasn’t unusual for Tony to feel this way. Working for days at a time was normal for him, all he needed was coffee and then he would be fine. 

“Caffeine isn’t a replacement for sleep, Tony. Please tell me you know that,” Bucky said when he placed the mug on the table. 

“I know,” Tony replied, not as loud as he wanted to. His head was feeling oddly heavy. 

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you do.” 

“I’m a genius, Bucky Boo. Of course I know that,” Tony told him. 

The weight of his head was too much for Tony to handle and before he knew it, it fell onto the table, narrowly missing his coffee mug. His eyes didn’t seem to want to stay open, but he could see a blurry image of Bucky staring down at him looking even more concerned than he was a minute ago. 

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed. Can you even get back home on your own?” Bucky asked. 

“Yeah,” Tony said. His head was still on the table. 

“I’m getting an Uber,” Bucky told him. 

“How do you know what an Uber is, old man?” Tony asked. 

He was sure that Steve Rogers didn’t know what an Uber was. When Steve was living in the tower, he always insisted on going outside to the street corner and waving down a taxi. Tony was happy to see that Bucky was getting with the times. 

Minutes must have passed because before Tony knew it, Bucky was dragging him out of the café and into the car. 

“How do you know where I live?” Tony mumbled into Bucky’s shoulder, which had become his new pillow. 

“The big tower with the ‘A’ on it? It’s kind of hard to miss, Tony,” Bucky answered with an amused grin. 

“Steve thought that it’s ugly,” Tony told him. He wasn’t sure if Bucky could understand him with his face smooshed into his shoulder. 

“I like it,” Bucky said. 

Bucky had a really comfortable shoulder. It had been a while since Tony was so close to someone. Rhodey returned to the Airforce for some basic missions that he could do while wearing his exoskeleton and that left Tony living in the tower by himself. Rhodey was reluctant to go, but Tony insisted because he didn’t want to stop him from living his life just because he was lonely. 

“We’re here,” Bucky whispered.

Tony had to force himself to wake up a little bit. He knew that he needed sleep; the coffee that he drank did absolutely nothing for him. He just really hated sleeping. There was nothing appealing about it. Tony either had horrible nightmares or was sad that he was in bed alone. Working through the night was much better. 

As Tony walked to the elevator, Bucky had to help steady him sometimes to prevent him from falling. He didn’t understand why he was so tired. He had gone days without sleep before. 

“How long has it been since you slept?” Bucky asked once they were in the elevator. 

“Dunno,” Tony mumbled, struggling to stay upright. 

“You need sleep, doll,” Bucky told him. 

The nickname woke Tony up some more. He always came up with nicknames for others, but it was rare for someone to give him one. It was a nice change that brought a warmth in his chest. 

When the elevator opened at the penthouse, FRIDAY told Bucky where to guide Tony. When they arrived at Tony’s bedroom, he noticed right away how uninviting his bed looked. He did not want to sleep alone. 

“I don’t wanna,” Tony said. 

“I’ll give you a muffin with your coffee tomorrow,” Bucky offered. 

It was enough of an incentive for Tony; he loved a good chocolate chip muffin. As soon as he got into the bed, he felt his body begin to shut down, but he was able to notice that Bucky was literally  _ tucking him in _ . He couldn’t believe it. 

“Goodnight, Tony,” Bucky said before leaving. Tony couldn’t even find the energy to respond, but he figured that Bucky would know that he wanted to. 

For a brief moment, Tony found himself wishing that Bucky was able to stay and cuddle until he was overcome by sleep. 

“I was promised a muffin,” Tony said as he entered the café the next night. 

“I made a fresh batch just for you,” Bucky told him. 

Bucky brought six muffins out from behind the counter and placed them on the table along with Tony’s usual coffee. Tony’s sugar intake significantly increased when he started visiting the shop, but he didn’t mind. The coffee was too good to pass up and he was definitely planning on eating most of the muffins. 

“How did you sleep last night?” Bucky asked. 

“A full eight hours!” Tony exclaimed. It had been years since Tony slept that long without a nightmare or interruption. 

“That’s great, Tony,” Bucky grinned. 

Tony took a bite out of the muffin and it was the best one he’d ever tasted. It wasn’t fair that Bucky was good at making coffee  _ and  _ baking. 

“Why did you help me?” Tony asked. 

It had been bugging him since he’d woken up in the morning. Tony just didn’t understand why Bucky would want to bring him all the way home and then actually make sure that he was in bed. The former Winter Soldier tucked him in and basically turned Tony into a blanket burrito. It was as if Bucky cared, which Tony knew couldn’t be true. Bucky had no reason to care, so why on Earth would he have gone through so much effort to make sure Tony got home safe and went to sleep?

“Because I wanted to,” Bucky replied, as if it was as simple as that. 

“But  _ why _ ?” Tony stressed, still not understanding. 

“Can’t I just want to? You’re nice to me and I want to be nice to you as well.” 

See, it didn’t usually work like that. Tony loved helping people. He had a gift for inventing and especially enjoyed it when his inventions helped other people. But he never received anything in return for his kindness and that’s just how he thought it was supposed to be. So what Bucky was saying didn’t make much sense. The only person who was always kind to him in return was Rhodey, but Tony thought that it was just because he was special. No one else was like him. 

“This isn’t pity, right? Because you feel bad about my parents and Siberia?” Tony asked. 

Bucky shook his head right away, like it was never something that crossed his mind. “No, Tony. I like spending time with you.”

“Oh,” Tony said, surprised. He couldn’t get himself to say anymore than that. He wanted to ask why, but he figured that wouldn’t get him anywhere. 

“You don’t have to keep people out all of the time. That’s a pretty lonely way to live.” 

Tony could only stare back at him, eyes wide with shock. 

“Just let me in,” Bucky said with a kind expression. 

“Are you sure you want that? I have a long list of character defects, an irregular sleep schedule, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and a history of falling out with people.” 

“You seem like a pretty cool guy to me.” Bucky shrugged. “And you seem to be forgetting my faults as well.” 

Tony let out an amused chuckle. “You’re a barista that tucks people in at night.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Tony said with a nod.

Bucky started visiting the tower more often. On his mornings off, he watched Tony work in his workshop. Some nights, Bucky followed Tony back to the tower to hang out some more and then make sure that Tony actually went to sleep. Tony introduced him to a lot of movies that he missed. Animated Disney movies happened to be Bucky’s favorite, which was definitely a surprise. He was amazed when he found out how many more Disney movies were created since the war. He saw Snow White in theaters when it was released. 

Since then, Tony noticed that Bucky would sometimes hum Disney music when he was making coffee in the shop. The latest favorite song was Hakuna Matata from The Lion King. 

“I hate you for getting these songs stuck in my head,” Bucky said as he placed Tony’s coffee on the table. 

“Oh shut up, you know you love them. The Lion King is a classic, I couldn’t let you live without seeing it,” Tony responded. 

Maybe Tony was a sucker for Disney movies too. He tried to keep that fact to himself, but Bucky definitely figured it out. 

“Ten customers asked me why I was humming along to Hakuna Matata today. Ten!” Bucky exclaimed. 

“I don’t really see an issue with that. It’s a great song.” 

Bucky wasn’t a fan of AC/DC, which really hurt, but at least they both liked Disney. 

“Just wait until we watch Frozen. You’ll be singing those songs for weeks,” Tony told him. 

Bucky only rolled his eyes in response, earning a laugh from Tony. Tony had been laughing a lot more lately and he liked it. He didn’t feel so heavy anymore and it was clearly Bucky who had this effect on him. 

“Is that what we’re watching tonight?” Bucky asked. 

“If you want. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to handle both Let It Go and Hakuna Matata at the same time, though,” Tony replied. 

Bucky grinned. “Is that a challenge?” 

Tony gulped down the last of his coffee and basically pulled Bucky out of the café. Thankfully, he remembered the rest of the pastries they were sharing. They were going to make a great movie snack, along with popcorn. They walked to the tower so close together that their arms kept accidentally brushing up against each other. Tony felt happy and Bucky was so easy to be with. Tony had a hard time finding people he was comfortable around, but Bucky was amazing. 

When they arrived at the tower, they headed straight for the elevator. 

“I can’t believe how many floors you have,” Bucky observed as he looked at the numerous buttons. 

“Yeah, well, most of them are empty now,” Tony said. 

“Oh,” Bucky replied with a guilty expression. “I didn’t mean to bring that up.” 

Tony shrugged. “It’s fine.” 

He honestly didn’t think about it as much anymore. The tower felt really empty the first few months with all of the Avengers gone, but it slowly got better. Tony thought maybe it was because he had found new company. It still sucked, but it was a lot more manageable. Tony normally wasn’t a social person, but he did need social interaction to feel human. The elevator finally opened, bringing them to the penthouse. 

“Do you miss them?” Bucky asked after taking a seat on the couch. 

“Sure,” Tony replied. “But I still have Rhodey. He tries to visit as much as he can. I’ve been helping Spider-Man, and now I have you, Buckaroo”

“Me?” Bucky asked. 

Tony didn’t mean to say that, but it slipped. 

“Yeah. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we spend a lot of time together,” Tony told him. 

Bucky looked stunned. “Yeah, I’m just surprised you said that.” Tony was surprised too, but he decided that he was going to go with it. 

“You’re really fun to be around, for an older fellow,” Tony chuckled. 

“So are you,” Bucky replied. 

Tony felt something in his stomach that he couldn’t quite place. Were they butterflies?

Tony and Bucky were making their way through their list of movies to watch. They got through more Disney movies, Star Wars, and some Harry Potter. The movie they had next was Lilo & Stitch. They normally sat on the couch a few inches apart, but it suddenly felt like Bucky was too far away. Tony found himself wanting to move closer to lean into Bucky’s side. He wanted to feel Bucky’s arm around him. So that’s what he did. He wasn’t sure what sparked the sudden confidence.

Bucky looked alarmed at first, but soon started to relax. 

Tony was happy. He hadn’t cuddled with anyone in weeks. As a touchy person, that was far too long. He just hoped he wasn’t making Bucky uncomfortable, but so far he seemed alright. 

“Why is everyone so mean to this poor girl?” Bucky asked as they were watching the the movie. 

“No one understands her,” Tony told him. “Lilo went through a trauma and is just trying to cope.” 

“Because her parents died,” Bucky said slowly, like he was processing something. 

They continued to watch the movie in silence. Tony knew that he messed up, he shouldn’t have picked this movie. He didn’t want to bring up any strong emotions for Bucky and he really wasn’t thinking. Tony’s parents had been dead for so long he got used to references to dead parents in pop culture. To be fair, a lot of Disney movies involved dead parents. 

“Tony, I don’t deserve this,” Bucky said, so soft that it was almost a whisper. 

“What?” Tony asked reflexively. 

“I don’t deserve to be here in your home. I don’t deserve you cuddling with me. I don’t deserve  _ you _ . Not after what I’ve done.” 

“That’s not true,” Tony responded. He couldn’t figure out what else to say. 

Bucky stiffened against him. “I killed them, Tony! Not even just them, I’ve killed so many people.” 

Tony moved over on the couch, sensing that being so close wasn’t helping. Bucky looked distraught as tears formed in his eyes and Tony desperately wanted to make him smile again.

“It was HYDRA that killed them, not you. They turned you into their weapon, and it’s absolutely terrible but it’s not your fault,” Tony explained to him. It was something that he fully accepted and really hoped that Bucky would too, in time. 

“You were captured and tortured, but you didn’t end up like me. You found a way to escape, you didn’t do what they wanted you to do,” Bucky said, referring to when Tony was kidnapped in Afghanistan. 

Tony knew that their situations weren’t the same. He didn’t understand why Bucky would compare them. That was never a thought that Tony had. 

“I wasn’t mind controlled or given any trigger words. You didn’t have a choice.” Tony really wanted Bucky to believe it, but he didn’t know what else to do. 

Bucky stood up from the couch. “I think I have to go.”

Tony’s heart sank into his chest. He didn’t know if he had the strength to watch someone else walk out of his life. It was too much for him to handle. 

“Please don’t,” Tony pleaded, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. 

“I have to. I’m sorry,” Bucky said. 

Tony only stared at him as he walked into the elevator, unable to say anything else. He knew that there was nothing that he could do. Tony just wasn’t the type of person that people liked to stay around. One day, he would accept that, but it would take time. 

Days went by and Tony didn’t see Bucky. He spent most of his time alone in his workshop. Inventing was the only thing that Tony could do to prevent himself from thinking. He knew that it was an unhealthy coping mechanism but he didn’t care. It worked for him and that was all that mattered. He ended up repairing a lot of his old suits. When that got boring, he started working on a nanotech suit, which he was very excited about. 

Tony could tell that both FRIDAY and Rhodey were concerned about him. He was sleeping even less than usual. He also drank numerous cups of black coffee, upset that they weren’t what he was actually craving. Even though he missed the coffee from Has Bean, he missed someone else even more. 

Bucky had quickly become someone that Tony cared about. Tony missed his charming smile whenever he told a joke, the way his eyes were glued to his with interest whenever he spoke, and the ridiculous nickname that he’d given him. ‘Doll’ was not a nickname that Tony ever expected to be given, but he secretly loved it. 

Tony especially missed the warm feeling in his chest that he had whenever Bucky was around. 

He really hoped that Bucky was doing alright. He was sure that everything was still going well at the café, but he knew that emotionally, Bucky really needed support. Unfortunately, Tony couldn’t help him because Bucky wouldn’t let him. 

It hurt that Bucky left him, especially when he knew that almost everyone else that Tony called a friend had done the same. But Tony couldn’t bring himself to be that angry with him. Bucky had gone through a lot and he needed time to come to terms with it and heal. It wasn’t going to be a quick process, but Tony wished that Bucky knew that he wanted to be there for him.

Tony wanted to see Bucky again. Every night, he wanted to go back to the café and make things go back to normal, but fear of rejection was stopping him. If he walked in and Bucky told him to leave, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it. Tony was planning on hiding in his workshop forever until Rhodey knocked some sense into him. 

“Tony, you guys are both being idiots. He shouldn’t have left you but you can’t avoid him either,” Rhodey said to him over the phone. 

“He probably doesn’t want to see me, Platypus,” Tony responded. 

“He’s just guilty, Tony. It will take time for that to go away. But you can show him that you still care about him.”

That was the thing, Tony did care about him. He probably cared about him a lot more than most other people. Bucky was important to him. 

“What if he doesn’t want me to? I can’t lose someone again,” Tony told him. 

“I have a feeling that it will work out,” Rhodey said simply. 

Tony knew that Rhodey was probably right because he was usually right about everything. He just had to find the courage to go to the café. His mind kept replaying scenarios of Bucky kicking him out of the shop.

A few hours after getting off the phone with Rhodey, Tony left the tower to walk to Has Bean. It was warm out for the beginning of spring, which showed how much time went by since the first time Tony saw Bucky at the café. He remembered that it was well below freezing that day. When Tony arrived, Bucky looked like he was about to lock up the place. His eyes widened when he saw Tony walk in. 

“I’m sorry, you probably don’t want me here,” Tony apologized right away. 

“I’ll get you coffee,” Bucky responded.

Tony gently grabbed Bucky’s arm, preventing him from walking to the kitchen. “I’m not here for coffee.”

“Oh,” was all that Bucky could say.

Tony sat down at their usual table, which he noticed was the only one that didn’t have chairs stacked on it. Had Bucky been hoping that Tony would come back?

“I’m sorry if I did anything to make you feel uncomfortable,” Tony said to him. 

“Tony, you’re not the one who should be apologizing,” Bucky told him. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m sorry for leaving you during the movie. I shouldn’t have done that after everything you’ve been through.”

Bucky’s expression was genuine, like he really meant his apology. Tony always felt weird and undeserving when people apologized to him. It wasn’t often that people did, so Tony never really figured out how to react. 

“It’s okay,” Tony replied. 

“No, it’s not. I still feel guilty about everything I’ve done. I’m working on it, but I let it affect you and that wasn’t right.” 

It wasn’t right, but Tony didn’t blame him for it because Bucky went through so much. 

“I can help you. Just let me in,” Tony said, repeating what Bucky told him weeks ago. 

“I want to,” Bucky replied, blue eyes glued to the table. 

Tony grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He wanted Bucky to only feel comfortable around him. Seeing Bucky nervous and sad broke Tony’s heart. 

“So let me in,” Tony said again. 

Bucky finally looked up at him. “I just like you a lot, doll. I don’t want to mess things up.”

There was the nickname again. It made Tony giddy each time he heard it. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Or maybe there was nothing wrong at all. Maybe he was finally happy. 

“I like you too,” Tony grinned. 

“How much? Like how Rapunzel and Eugene like each other? Or like Timon and Pumba?” Bucky asked. Tony couldn’t stop himself from laughing. He created a monster. 

“Like Rapunzel and Eugene, but probably even more if I’m being honest,” Tony told him, unable to suppress a smile. Then he realized that he didn’t have to. He was allowed to be happy. He really liked Bucky.

“Good,” Bucky said. His face glowed, showcasing a genuine happiness that Tony was glad to see. 

“I want to kiss you,” Tony admitted. He knew that he tended to be too forward sometimes, but he didn’t want to miss an opportunity to do what he had wanted to do for so long. 

“I want to kiss you too.”

Tony didn’t waste any time. He stood up from his chair at the same time as Bucky. When they were only an inch apart, Tony stood on his tippy toes and pulled Bucky in for a kiss. Bucky’s lips were cool and tasted of coffee, meaning that he must have had an iced coffee before Tony arrived. The kiss was passionate, like they’d both wanted this for ages. Tony was glad that Bucky felt the same way about him. When they finally pulled apart, Tony couldn’t take his eyes off the man in front of him. Bucky’s blue eyes had a sparkle to them and his smile was from ear to ear. Tony couldn’t believe that he caused him to be that happy. 

Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony, pulling him into a hug. Tony was caught off guard at first because it had been so long since he had been held. After a brief moment, he relaxed into Bucky’s arms and felt content. 

“Don’t leave me ever again,” Tony mumbled into his chest. 

Bucky placed a gentle kiss on the top of Tony’s head. “I wouldn’t even dream of it, doll.”

Tony smiled even though Bucky couldn’t see. He was truly happy. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first winteriron fic and I'm so excited! Follow me on [tumblr](https://lovewhatyoudooo.tumblr.com) if you want, I'd love to chat


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